1. Technical Field
Present invention embodiments relate to dental appliances and, in particular, to devices for propping the mouth open, retracting tissue, and evacuating fluids from the mouth.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Dental practitioners and technicians remove saliva and water from a mouth, retract lips and cheeks, and prop the mouth open during dental procedures in order to provide a dry and unobstructed field of operation. Typically, separate devices are utilized to perform these functions.
In particular, saliva ejectors are employed to evacuate saliva from a dental site. Generally, the saliva ejectors comprise a plastic tube with a wire to provide stability, and have a single opening at a tip of the tube through which saliva is evacuated. The tube and wire must be bent to the desired shape to conform to a particular patient's mouth. During use, tissues become trapped in the opening, thereby obstructing suction and causing trauma to the soft tissues. Further, the saliva ejectors evacuate only one side of the mouth at a time, and impede visibility and access to dental sites.
Although cotton rolls may be placed in the oral vestibule for retraction, the cotton rolls become overly wet with saliva during the dental procedure. Moreover, retraction devices that are mostly used for photography may be placed at the corners of the lips. These devices retract only one area at a time, and must be held in place by a dental practitioner which can result in operator fatigue. Other retraction devices are bulky, cumbersome, obstruct visibility, and can be used on only one side of the mouth at a time.
Current devices to maintain the mouth in an open state consist of a rubber wedge, and are usually not disposable. These devices are bulky, restrict visibility, and allow access to only one side of the mouth at a time. A patient can neither voluntary close nor relax the jaw, and the lips cannot close over the device. In addition, the dimensions of the device prohibit placement in certain patients that are unable to sufficiently open their mouth.